Mean Gene

Stating The Obvious--Bloggers Rule

A coherent post about Aruba is beyond me right now, so let me just sort of jump from subject to subject over the next few posts and let everyone know how things went down there.

The best part of the trip was meeting up with Linda and Doubleas and getting to talk to them a bit. Linda quite possibly saved my life by giving me some cold medication that actually made headway against the bug that plagued me all week. With everything else she had going on during the tournament, she remembered that I was sick and brought the medicine the next day. And then we had a nice talk outside the tournament ballroom during one of those nights when I was wondering what the hell I was doing there. Thanks to her both my physical and mental state improved dramatically as the week wore on.

I pity those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Doubleas yet. My biggest regret of the trip was not having more time to hang out with them and talk and drink and have some fun. I got to spend a lot of time talking to Liz in the hallway as Scott fought the good fight inside. He also saved my ass by giving me a copy of a photo-sizing program that allowed me to post the fantastic pictures I took down there.

And I just thought of something--I didn't get him to autograph my copy of his book! The one night we were down in the lobby of his hotel, drinking and writing (there's a picture of that on his blog) and Liz went to the casino bar to get more Balashis and, in the course of some innocent conversation, told the casino manager her husband is a poker player, and, on top of that, a famous author! Scott ended up trudging down the hallway to bring the guy a copy of his book and sign it for him. Success hasn't gone to his head.

One of the funniest moments of the week (at least for me) came during the first break after the tournament started. The overflow tables were set up in the casino and that's where Scott was, and I didn't realize until later that he was at a table with Layne Flack (who took 2nd in Aruba in 2005) and Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy (who took 2nd this year). Now, that's a pretty scary duo to have at your table. But when I talked to Scott, he said, "Yeah, I have Flack on my left...he's fun to play with. And Bax...he's a tough player..."

Most players (like me) would be wetting themselves if they sat down with those two guys. Not doubleas. I imagined him saying in his calm, laconic way, "Yeah...I have Bruce Wayne on my left...you know, he's Batman...and then across the table is...Jesus of Nazareth...He's good, but He doesn't have chips..." Unflappable.

Hopefully both Linda and Scott will attend whatever blogger function comes next. If they do, mark it on your calendar.

I read all about the Bash while I was in Aruba, and perhaps it was a good thing I couldn't make it, because I wouldn't have been much fun. I was sick as a dog Saturday night, and I stayed that way until Tuesday. I got home Saturday night intending to write a bit and then hit the casino for some slots fun and a few beers. Forget it. I lay down on the bed, crawled under the covers, and fell asleep watching the Notre Dame-Michigan State game. When I fell asleep Michigan State was way ahead, but I had a dream that Notre Dame came back to win. I guess my unconscious was still watching the game while my body tried to rest.

One thing about the trip--just about everyone I met was...nice. Really, really nice. Everyone having a good time, everyone pretty relaxed. I think the most unpleasant person I saw was the bleary-eyed SOB staring back at me from the mirror.

I'll probably post more today, lots of pictures and stories. But my cupboards are bare, I need milk and bread. I took 4th in Wil's tournament last night, and earlier in the day I took some free money Party gave me and blew it all on one big SNG, where I took 2nd. Like a lot of players, I'm playing loose and fast, hoping to hit one big score before the party ends. It makes me sick. As I've said before (and I'll keep saying), there's an election coming up in November. Vote the bastards out. Find ways to make your voice heard. It's not just about the gambling ban, just look at the state of our country. Time to clean house.

<< Home